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CLEVELAND — Cleveland’s old Inner Belt Bridge, which had been growing more gap-toothed by the
week, was to collapse altogether at first light this morning.

The Ohio Department of Transportation said a controlled demolition of the remaining skeleton of
steel girders would take place about 6 a.m. Detonation charges were placed at precise spots in
order to implode the framework onto itself.

ODOT is replacing the 55-year-old bridge with twin bridges named in honor of George V.
Voinovich. The span that will be westbound opened last fall. It handles traffic in both directions
for now.

The run-up to the demolition involved months of mechanical deconstruction work on the bridge,
which carried I-90 traffic through downtown Cleveland for half a century. Explosive charges couldn’t
be used to take down the end spans of the bridge, or spans over the Norfolk Southern railroad
tracks and the Cuyahoga River.

But for the rest of the structure, controlled demolition was the safest and cheapest method, and
could be accomplished in a split second.

The forecast called for partly sunny skies. ODOT said the explosion would proceed even if it’s
raining and windy. About the only weather conditions that would force a delay are lightning —
because of the risk of a stray electrical charge detonating the explosives — and fog. That could
lower the ceiling for sound waves to escape, which could increase stress on surrounding
structures.

Much of the 1959 bridge is being reused. By May, ODOT had sold more than 6,000 tons of torn-down
girders to a steel recycler. After today, there will be a lot more to dispose of.